RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol 2, No. 194, 7 October 1998
SLOVAKIA'S SDL NO LONGER OPPOSES COALITION WITH ETHNIC
HUNGARIANS. Jozef Migas, chairman of the Party of the
Democratic Left (SDL), said on 6 October that he no longer
opposes forming a coalition that includes the Hungarian
Coalition Party (SMK), AP reported. Migas said "we want to
form a government for four years, and as soon as we can."
Migas had voiced his disapproval of including the SMK in the
proposed four-party coalition (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5
October 1998). Observers say the SDL was reluctant to add the
SMK because of fears it would push for regional autonomy or
seek to have the Benes decrees invalidated. Under those
decrees, some 60,000 ethnic Hungarians were deported from
Czechoslovakia after 1945. Bela Bugar, the chairman of the
SMK, said his party did not want to bring up the Benes
decrees during coalition negotiations. PB
HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER IN WASHINGTON. On the second day of
his official visit to the U.S., Viktor Orban met with
Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis Freeh,
Hungarian media reported on 6 October. Orban and Freeh signed
an agreement on joint action against organized crime. In
other news, Klaus Naumann, chairman of NATO's military
committee, told journalists in Budapest that the alliance is
counting on the participation only of present member states
in the event of a military operation against Yugoslavia. In
meeting with Defense Minister Janos Szabo, Naumann expressed
his satisfaction with Hungary's preparation for accession but
said further development is needed in the areas of English-
language training and air defense cooperation. MSZ
HUNGARY'S AGRICULTURE MINISTER REACHES COMPROMISE WITH
FARMERS. Jozsef Torgyan and farmers' representatives
announced on 6 October that an agreement has been reached in
solving the ongoing grain crisis, ending weeks of mutual
accusations. The ministry has promised farmers that it will
extend deadlines for repaying loans. In return, farmers have
called off their planned demonstrations, Hungarian media
reported. MSZ
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